Between two of the People called QUAKERS.
ENEATH the shadow of a beaver hat,
Meek Caleb at a filent meeting fat;
His eye-balls oft' forgot the holy trance,
While Tabitha demure, return'd the glance.
The meeting ended, Caleb filence broke,
And Tabitha her inward yearnings spoke.
CALEB.
Beloved, fee how all things follow love,
Lamb fondleth lamb, and dove disports with dove?
Yet fondled lambs their innocence secure,
And none can call the turtle's bill impure;
O fairest of our fifters, let me be
The billing dove, and fondling lamb to thee.
But, Caleb, know that birds of gentle mind
Elect a mate among the fober kind,
Not the mockaws, all deck'd in fcarlet pride,
Entice their mild and modeft hearts afide;
But thou, vain man, beguil'd by Popish shows,
Doateft on ribands, flounces, furbelows.
If thy false heart be fond of tawdry dyes,
Go, wed the painted arch in fummer skies;
Such love will like the rainbow's hue decay,
Strong at the first, but paffeth foon away.
Name not the frailties of my youthful days,
When vice mif-led me through the harlot's ways;
When I with wanton look the fex beheld,
And nature with each wanton look rebell'd;
Then parti-colour'd pride my heart might move
With lace; the net to catch unhallow'd love.
All fuch like love is fading as the flower,
Springs in a day, and withereth in an hour:
But now I feel the fpoufal love within,
And fpoufal love no fifter holds a fin.
I know thou longeft for the flaunting maid,
Thy falfehood own, and say I am betray'd;
The tongue of man is blister'd o'er with lies,
But truth is ever read in woman's eyes;
O that my lip obey'd a tongue like thine!
Or that thine eye bewray'd a love like mine!
CALEB.
How bitter are thy words! forbear to teaze,
I too might blame-but love delights to please.
Why should I tell thee, that when last the fun
Painted the downy peach of Newington,
Jofiah led thee through the garden's walk,
And mingled melting kiffes with his talk?
Ah Jealousy! turn, turn thine eyes afide,
How can I fee that watch adorn thy fide ?
For verily no gift the fifters take
For luft of gain, but for the giver's fake.
ТАВІТНА.
I own, Jofiah gave the golden toy,
Which did the righteous hand of Quare employ ;
When Caleb hath affign'd fome happy day,
I look on this and chide the hours delay :
And when Jofiah would his love pursue,
On this I look and fhun his wanton view.
Man but in vain with trinkets tries to move,
The only prefent love demands is love.
Ah Tabitha, to hear these words of thine,
My pulse beats high, as if inflam'd with wine!
When to the brethren firft with fervent zeal
The spirit mov'd thy yearnings to reveal,.
How did I joy thy trembling lip to fee
Red as the cherry from the Kentish tree;
When ecftafy had warm'd thy look fo meek,
Gardens of rofes blushed on thy cheek.
With what sweet tranfport didst thou roll thine eyes,
How did thy words provoke the brethren's fighs!
Words that with holy fighs might others
But, Tabitha, my fighs were fighs of love.
TABITHA.
Is Tabitha beyond her wishes bleft?
Does no proud worldly dame divide thy breaft?
Then hear me, Caleb, witness what I fpeak,
This folemn promise death alone can break;
Sooner I would bedeck my brow with lace,
And with immodeft fav'rites shade my face,
Sooner like Babylon's lewd whore be dreft
In flaring di'monds and a fcarlet vest,
Or make a curtfie in Cathedral pew,
Than prove inconftant, while my
When I prove falfe, and Tabitha forfake,
Teachers shall dance a jig at country wake;
Brethren unbeaver'd then fhall bow their head,
And with prophane mince-pies our babes be fed.
ТАВІТНА.
If that Jofiah were with paffion fir'd,
Warm as the zeal of youth when first inspir'd;
In fteady love though he might persevere,
Unchanging as the decent garb we wear,
And thou wert fickle as the wind that blows,
Light as the feather on the head of Beaus ;
Yet I for thee would all thy fex refign,
Sifters, take all the reft
Though I had all that finful love affords,
And all the concubines of all the Lords,
Whofe couches creak with whoredom's finful fhame,
Whose velvet chairs are with adult'ry lame;
Ev'n in the harlot's hall, I would not fip
The dew of lewdnefs from her lying lip;
I'd fhun her paths, upon thy mouth to dwell,
More fweet than powder which the merchants fell;
O folace me with kisses pure like thine!
Enjoy, ye Lords, the wanton concubine.
The spring now calls us forth; come, fifter, come,
To see the primrose and the daifie bloom.
Let ceremony bind the worldly pair,
Sifters efteem the brethren's words fincere.
Efpoufals are but forms. O lead me hence,
For fecret love can never give offence.
Then hand in hand the loving mates withdraw. True love is nature unreftrain'd by law.
This tenet all the holy fect allows;
So Tabitha took earneft of a spouse.
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